Funding For 1:1 Support

[Guest]

Hi all,

We have recently had a child start with us who is receiving funding for 1:1 support. As a setting, we do not offer a term time only place and besides this the parents have expressed their wishes for the child to attend for the 50 weeks of the year that we are open. Our issue is that the EY SEN Team will only fund her 1:1 support during term time in which case we have to fund the support for all non term time sessions, a cost that we will find very hard to meet. I am wondering if all LAs have the same policy or if anyone knows of a feasable way around this?

[AnonyMouse_30128]

well all i can say is you're lucky you are getting any funding!....not a very helpful answer though!!

[AnonyMouse_28434]

Hi-how old is the child? What 1:1 support are you receiving (is it for example for physical, behavioural, etc?)

 

[Guest]

The child has cerebal palsey and requires constant help with standing, walking and eating.

 

[AnonyMouse_19802]

with the level of support that this child needs maybe the parents could seek further support from Menphys SOS? If they already receive disability living allowance then maybe they would be prepared to fund the extra support he/ she needs? As I understand it additional funding is allocated as a 'support' rather than a 'care package' and it sounds like this child may need this in place? We are all very willing to help as much as possible but I dont see that it is the settings place to finance this level of additional need themselves. Harsh but true...?

[AnonyMouse_8466]

In the past when we have received funding for 1:1 support, it has been for 2.5 hours a session, term time only. So I always funded the extra thirty minutes unless the parent was in a position to volunteer to cover these costs. I wonder how the Single Funding Formula affected things like this?

[AnonyMouse_28434]

The setting cannot expected to be finance the extra costs, I would echo Rafa's comments.

[AnonyMouse_30128]

In the past when we have received funding for 1:1 support, it has been for 2.5 hours a session, term time only. So I always funded the extra thirty minutes unless the parent was in a position to volunteer to cover these costs. I wonder how the Single Funding Formula affected things like this?

lucky if we get anything at all at the moment....little chap with asd for instance with us attends 15 hours we get 6 hours funding...we are expected to provide 1:1 assistance for the remaining hours with no additional money. 2 children with significant speech needs ...no funding at all. 1 child with significant behaviour issues (adhd??) our borough now no longer accepts this condition therefore no funding! 1 under 3 with significant delay and CAF in place brother just diagnosed with asd ...school getting full 30hours...we are getting.........yes you guessed it nothing

[AnonyMouse_8466]

I know finleysmaid, I know. And even when the funding was there it didn't cover the hourly rate we paid, so we were out of pocket all round. :angry: There are many things I miss about nursery, but finance isn't one of them.

[AnonyMouse_30128]

sorry ttt ...you hit a nerve ....apologies for the hyjack :huh:

[AnonyMouse_8466]

I wouldn't have said you hijacked the thread finleysmaid - it is always interesting to hear how other Local Authorities operate.

[Guest]

Please don't apologise, it really is interesting to hear about everyone else's experiences. After coming from a teaching background, being a SENCo in a school I am shocked at the lack of funding for children with additional needs. Its no wonder that so many settings are struggling and are no longer sustainable. We really are over a barrel aren't we because if we even hint that we cannot provide for these children then we are seen as disciminating! I am sure that 9 tines out of 10 these children do get the support they need because as professionals we always make sure that the child's needs are met, usually at our expense. This seems so wrong. I have bought the subject up with our locality SENCo and we are going to discuss at the child's next TAC but I can already guess what the answer will be.

Thanks for your thoughts so far everyone.xxx

[AnonyMouse_11962]

Thank goodness we are only open term times! I really feel for you and agree it's ridiculous to expect the setting to fund the extra. And you are right about any dissent being branded as discriminating. We have one to one for 15 hours for a child who attends 18 hours and we pick up the difference - nothing like as bad as your situation but it's annoying and as Maz says, the rate doesn't cover the cost of the staff member once you include oncosts such as holiday pay and NI.

[Guest]

Hi All

 

Hold on to your hats as the Government has just published:

 

Department for Education response to Special Educational Need Consultation

 

The Department for Education has set out its plans to give parents the legal right to buy-in specialist SEN and disabled care for their children. For the first time ever, parents will be given the power to control personal budgets for their children with severe, profound or multiple health and learning – meaning they can choose the expert support that is right for their child, instead of local authorities being the sole provider.

 

The reforms are part of a package of new measures announced by the government in is response to the SEN Green Paper, Support and Aspiration published today.

 

Copied and pasted, not sure how to link

 

I really dont know where all this will end! We are loosing all of our current SEN/Inclusion services provided by our LA in September and it looks like Early Years are being missed out altogether so goodness knows what we will do then!

 

What is happening across the country regarding this?

 

Debster